


The Right Thing

by iamglennc0c0



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon, F/M, Fluff, M/M, also angst, clueless, sleeping, vivian appears for half a second
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 06:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10406208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamglennc0c0/pseuds/iamglennc0c0
Summary: Merlin is lost in thought after coming upon a, seemingly, napping Prince Arthur as they both question their own feelings.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really bad at summaries so if anyone would like to offer suggestions please do. Or constructive criticism on the work itself.

“You’re oddly loyal to my son.” A voice filled the empty space, weighing down on the shoulders of the room’s inhabitants, or rather, inhabitant, as the owner of the voice was more than comfortable in his rich throne.

“Yes, sire, you’ve said.” A meek voice came in reply, soft as down, from a boy so nervous, the man wondered if he was shivering.

“Why is that? It cannot simply be because you are his servant.” His sire implored, placing his thumb and forefinger around his chin, and squinting his eyes in a suspicious manner.

The smaller one hesitated, perhaps thinkingly, before answering “It is a careful bond… that could only have been created... on the very adventures we found ourselves on. I have saved his life, and he, mine.” He froze for a moment, as if realizing a mistake, but his highness paid no mind.

“Yes, I remember, when I first appointed you as Arthur’s servant,” He contemplated, “Perhaps it truly is a bond only forged between men who’ve seen death’s hands far too close to them.”

“Y-yes, Sire.” Another moment of hesitation.

The King thought for a second, before dismissing the boy with a wave of his hand. 

Without a moment’s thought, the boy ran off to his master’s chambers. Strangely, he found the boy taking an afternoon nap. This was highly unusual, and a million thoughts of magic and murder ran through his mind. Immediately, he jumped to the prince’s side, desperate to find if something had gone wrong. But there was nothing, he was breathing evenly, and, the scared boy realized, he felt no other presence that could have possibly caused any harm. Prince Arthur was simply taking a nap.

Now calmed, the servant looked at Arthur once again, and found himself frozen. Without the boy throwing insults and orders at him, he discovered that though he had appreciated Arthur’s features before, they had never quite been so clear. He admired the shower of golden locks that fell upon his finally uncreased forehead, and the way the sunlight fell just right onto his chiseled chest. All that practice did him well, the manservant found himself thinking.

The boy looked at the mussed sheets, almost imagining himself in them, though he shook the thought away. Unthinkingly running his fingers down the blonde boy’s arm, lighter than feathers, he sat on the bed, careful not to jostle the Prince, but wanting to be nearer to him. He ran his eyes along the bed, appreciating the sleeping figure with a gentle look rarely found in even the most loving of couples.

Suddenly, Arthur clenched, and the servant realized he’d had his hand on the Prince’s back. He wondered if perhaps the Prince was having a nightmare, as he did not stir as if waking. 

Truthfully, the Prince _had_ awoken, but upon noticing his servant’s eyes glued to his body as if he had discovered the eighth wonder of the world, found no motivation to move, and once again closed his eyes to keep the boy’s presence there. Why he did this, the Prince genuinely did not know. Perhaps it was because, despite being his servant, _Merlin_ was also his best friend, though he’d never admit it, and he wanted a pleasant moment with the boy. Or maybe he was simply too tired to care. No matter what excuse he came up with, none seemed to be just right.

Arthur soon became distracted, anyway, by the feeling of Merlin’s fingers brushing the hairs covering his eyelids to the side. They were so very gentle, he almost wanted to move into them. But upon realizing the urge, he steeled himself, not wanting to scare the smaller boy off. However, this had the opposite effect, as Merlin felt the boy tense up again, and decided it was best to get up before the prince awoke to find Merlin staring at him like a lunatic.

With the loss of Merlin’s warm body pressing against his own, Arthur found no reason to keep up the facade. He waited a moment before sitting up and stretching, feeling as if he’d had the most satisfied sleep since he was but a babe.

“Good morning, Sire.” Merlin said in an oddly steely voice, looking away from the Crown Prince of Camelot with the slightest tinge of red in his ears. Arthur looked down and realized he was shirtless. It was not as if he hadn’t known, but it truly hadn’t registered until he looked himself. He found himself embarrassed slightly, though they were both men, and Merlin had seen him shirtless, naked even, many a time. He found himself embarrassed nearly every time. No matter what it was, he was always embarrassed around Merlin.

After a moment of tension, Merlin found the sense to pass his master a new shirt, as his old one was soaked with sweat from the training grounds. The two’s eyes locked, and for a moment it felt like they had been looking for eternity. But soon Arthur broke the tie, and they realized it had been but seconds.

That night Merlin dreamt not of enchantments and magic, but of Arthur, simply him and nothing else but him.

\-------------------------- 

It was not much later that Lady Vivian came to visit. It hurt him. He knew it wasn’t real, that his master had been tricked and enchanted. But it hurt, not that he would look at her with a love as false as the gold in the river, but that he would never even look at Merlin with so much.

He knew he had to break the enchantment. He hadn’t slept since the moment Arthur had mentioned he was in love; Even before he clarified that it was Vivian, and not Gwen. Merlin liked Gwen, loved her, in fact, and she was a most dear friend to him. So he would support them, because no one could be better for his master, than his very best friend.

He returned to the task at hand, searching 4, or perhaps 5, books at once. Surely there had to be some way to break the curse; who could possibly have magic so strong? But alas, even by morning he had not found so much as a clue to what to do. He knew he had another option, but he refused, that would only bring more pain and suffering. If Arthur could be happy like this, what was even the need for solving the problem? He sighed, knowing a war could never be justifiable with simply the thought of his master’s happiness, especially false happiness. Finally, Gaius pushed him to his last resort, it was their only option.

True love’s kiss. Of course, how could he not have known; It was so cliche. But, of course he wouldn’t have guessed, life was hardly like the fairy tales mothers would tell young ones as they put them to bed. Life was painful, and scary, and your efforts were rewarded far less than deserved. But he put these thoughts behind him. Now, he had to focus on Arthur, and Gwen. Lovely Gwen, he thought as his heart gave a squeeze. He brushed it off and, once again, ran to save his master.

Seeing the hope lying in Gwen’s every feature as he spoke, he realized he had done the right thing. Even if his heart still squeezed, and his eyes still stung, he would be happy for them. He would do the right thing.


End file.
